Automatic pineapple machine



March 17, 1%6. R. B. TAYLOR AUTOMATIC PINEAPPLE MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1933 INVENTOR .Fafierffi 727 A T TORNEYS:

17, 1936. R. B. TAYLOR 3 AUTOMATIC PINEAPPLE MACHINE I Filed June 2'7, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

1936 R. B. TAYLOR 2,034 1@ AUTOMATIC PINEAPPLE MACHINE Filed June 27, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

17, 1936. I R B TAY| QR Z,@34,1$

AUTOMATIC PINEAPPLE MACHINE I Filed June 27; 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

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March 17, 1936. R. B. TAYLOR AUTOMATIC PINEAPPLE MACHINE Filed June 27, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Hw 1 U5 3/10.. 0 1 jl x) v M M J1 1 0 9 I l l 0 1 1 I N V EN TOR Falxrffl T0 y/or A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar; 17, 1936 um'rao STATES AUTOMATIC PINEAPPLE MACHINE Robert Brooks Taylor, Kapaa, Territory Hawaii, assignor to Hawaiian Canneries Coma pany, Ltd., Kapaa, Territory of Hawaii, a corportion of Hawaii Application June 27, 1933, Serial No. 677,929

17 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in automatic machinery for preparing pineapple for canning, and its principal object is to provide a machine in which the various steps necessary for the preparation of the pineapple are reorganized in such a manner as to produce a more desirable product, to eliminate waste, to save labor and to allow all the steps to be carried out successively in a single machine.

To prepare a pineapple for canning it is necessary that the pineapple be sized to form a cylinder, which latter, after the ends have been removed, is cut up into slices and these are filled into cans and subjected to a canning process preparing the same forthe market.

The conventional method of preparing pineapples for canning in the form of uniform slices is to first center the pineapple in a machine, to then cut out the cylindrical central portion of the pineapple corresponding in diameter to the size of the slice desired, to then cut off the ends of the cylinder, to core the latter, and to trim the edges of the cylinder for removal of such portions of the shell as adhere to the edges as a result of the operations set forth. This manner of preparing the pineapple leaves the ellipse-shaped portion of the shell with a considerable portion of the meat adhering thereto, and this meat, in the conventional method, is separated from the shell by different kinds of machinery which deliver the meat as pulp, sold on the market as crushed pineapple and usually considered as of lower value and sold at prices much below those charged for the meat of the pineapple presented to the market in the form of uniform slices.

It is the object of the present invention to reorganize this entire operation and to remove the shell from the pineapple in such a manner that that portion of the pineapple surrounding the cylindrical part may be cut into attractive tidbits which are much more acceptable to the market and sell at higher prices than the crushed pineapple. This particular portion of the meat, if properly recovered from the fruit shell, is actually the best quality of the entire fruit.

One essential part of the machine to be described hereinafter is a particular tool used for separating the shell from the meat of. the pineapple, and this particular tool has been described and claimed in my copending application for Letters Patent on a peeling knife, Serial No. 640,521, filed October 31, 1932, now matured into Patent No. 1,984,709.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a complete organization of elements including the peeling knife, by means ofwhich my reorganized method of preparing the pineapple for slicing may be carried out automatically.

Further objects and advantages of my inventionwill appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my 'invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically in side elevation the organization of my improved automatic machine, with certain portions omitted;

Figure 2 an end elevation as seen from the left of Figure 1;

Figure 3 a side elevation of a section of a chain and a pusher attached thereto;

Figure 4 a top plan view of the chain and pusher shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a pusher control mechanism with the pusher in an inactive position;

Figure 6 a view similar to Figure 5 with the pusher in active position;

Figure 7 an enlarged detail view illustrating the pusher control;

Figure 8 a vertical cross section taken along line 88 of Figure 1;

Figure 9 an enlarged vertical cross section taken along line 99 of Figure 1;

Figure 10 a horizontal section taken along line Ill-I0 of Figure 11;

Figure 11 a vertical section through a portion of the machine illustrating; a peeling mechanism, and its attendant structure, taken along the line |lll of Figure 10;

Figure 12 a diagrammatic view showing the organization of the peeling blades as viewed in cross section;

Figure 13 a diagrammatic development of the peeling blades and peeling-removing means coacting therewith as seen if the annular series of elements were flattened into a plane;

Figure 14 a. star wheel assembly used for removing peelings;

Figure 15 an enlarged transverse section taken along line I5-l5 of Figure 1;

Figure 16 a side elevation of a second pusher control mechanism;

Figure 17 an isometric, diagrammatic view of the operating means for the star wheels;

Figure 18 a diagrammatic view of a turret .used for removing the ends of the pineapple,

from the right-hand side in Figure l; and

Figure 21 a side elevation of the turret and its operating mechanism viewed from the opposite side as compared with Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Broadly speaking, my machine comprises a track I, see Figures 1 and 2, on which the pineapple 2 may be advanced, a conveyor 3 provided with a series of pushers 4 adapted to extend into the track for advancing the pineapple, a second conveyor 5, see Figure 1, mounted on the opposite side of the track and in continuation of the first conveyor, and having similar pushers 4 for continuing the advance of the pineapple, a centering device shown at 6, a section 1 which performs the function of slitting the pineapple radially from the periphery to the outline of a cylindrical section, of peeling the pineapple and of removing the peelings, this section including a conveyor 8 having pushers 4 assuming the function of advancing the pineapple when substantially one-half thereof has been peeled, a cylindrical cutter 9, see Figures 1 and 19, for separating the outer sections of the pineapple from the central cylinder, and a turret l0, see also Figures 18, 19 and 20, adapted to receive the sized central section of the pineapple and to carry the same through successive stations for removing the end sections and for coring the sized pineapple.

Referring to the drawings with greater detail, it should be noted that the three conveyors 3, 5 and 8 are substantially of the same construction, the details being shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each conveyor consists of an endless chain ll suitably supported by sprockets l2, and provided with a plurality of spaced pushers 4, each comprising a U-shaped base l2, pivotally supported on cross pins 13 passing through the chains, and a dog [4 projecting from the base at right angles thereto. The pin I3 is provided on opposite sides of the pusher with rollers I 5, and the ends of the U-shaped base have pins l6 projecting therefrom, which carry the rollers l1. It will be seen that in this manner the pusher is movable between the active position shown in Figure 3, in which the dog l4 extends at right angles to the chain, and an inactive position shown with respect to some of the pushers in Figures 5 and 6, in which the dog [4 has been swung about the pin l3 in the direction of the arrow 18, so that the tip of the dog contacts the chain. A spring 19 has the tendency of throwing the pusher into inactive position, while guide rails such as shown at 20 and 2| in Figures 9 and 15 respectively, are at operative times engaged by the rollers H for holding the pusher in active position.

In the first conveyor all the pushers are thrown into active position, while passing around the first sprocket l2 by means of a cam shaped rail indicated at 22, and remain in active position throughout the upper part of their travel. They are allowed to assume an inactive position under the influence of their springs aided if necessary by a cam 23 during the lower part of their travel. Pineapples are fed upon the conveyor in any suitable manner, one pineapple in front of each pusher.

The first conveyor carries the pineapples to within close proximity of the centering device indicated at 6 The centering device is conventional in ltsstructure and is not illustrated. A suitable illustration and description of a centering device adapted to be used in my machine may be found in United States Patent No. 1,060,247, to H. G. Ginaca. For the purposes of this description may it suflice that the functioning of the centering device is to arrange the pineapple in such a manner that its axis corresponds with the operating axis of the machine, Ztghich is indicated in Figure 1 by the dotted line For the purposes of my invention it is important that only those pushers pass through the centering device and the main peelfng section in active position which actually have a pineapple in front of them, and I have, therefore, devised a mechanism which automatically throws those pushers which for some reason have no pineapple in front of them, into inactive position before they reach the centering device. This mechanism is illustrated in detail in Figures 5 to 8, which show the transfer of the pineapple from the lower conveyor 3 to the upper conveyor 5. The pushers on the two conveyors are arranged in such a manner that each pusher on the second conveyor engages with a pineapple advanced by the first conveyor at about the time when the corresponding pusher of the first conveyor relinquishes its work of advancing the pineapple. Means are provided, however, to allow each pusher of the upper conveyor to occupy an active position only in case its corresponding pusher on the lower conveyor has a pineapple in front of the same. Normally each pusher in the upper section of the upper conveyor is held in inactive position by its spring l9, and to force the same into active position, while the chain turns around the sprocket I2 I provide two cams 25 shown particularly well in Figure '7, both cams being revolvable on the sprocket shaft. When the cams 25 are in the position shown in Figure 7 the rollers ll of the pushers are arrested in their progress by the cams and the pusher is turned about its supporting pin l3 into the upright or active position, and the pusher is held in this position by the cams and guide rails 20 merging thereinto. If,

' however, the cams 25 are turned about their axis to occupy the position indicated in Figure 5, the rollers I! are not arrested in their forward travel, but clear the lower edges of the cams, and the pusher is allowed to advance while retaining its inactive position. The turning movement of the cams is brought about by the pineapple advanced by the corresponding pusher of the lower conveyor, by means of a lever 26 pivoted as at 21, and operating through its arm 28, and a link 29, a second arm 30 mounted coaxially with the cams. When the pusher of the lower conveyor has a pineapple in front thereof the latter raises the lever 26 and thereby pushes the cams into the advance position shown in Figure 7, forcing the corresponding pusher of the upper conveyor into active position. When no pineapple is in front of the pusher of the lower conveyor, the lever 26 remains undisturbed and the cams 25 remain in the position shown in Figure 5, and allow the corresponding pusher of the upper conveyor to remain in inactive position.

The upper conveyor conveys the p'neapple through the centering device of conventional construction indicated at 6 and from there through the first half of the peeling device indicated at I, which comprises in its principal shown in Figure 9.

features an annular series of blades, preferably twelve indicated at 3|, the peeling knives indicated at 32, and the star wheels 33 serving the purpose of removing'the peelings.

The blades 3| extend through the entire peeling section, and are arranged radially so as to define a central conduit as indicated in Figures 9 and 15 through which the pineapple passes. This conduit is generally of approximately the same diameter as the cylindrical central section of the pineapple which it is desired to obtain so that the blades cut into the pineapple radial slits extending from the periphery to the uniform depth of the cylindrical section. These blades serve the purpose not only of cutting the slits into the pineapple but also of firmly holding the pineapple in central position relative to the peeling section. Since the pushers of the conveyor extend centrally into the conduit it is necessary to omit, in the first half of the peel'ng section the upper vertical blade so as to make room for the pushers, while in the second half of the section in which the pineapple is advanced by the pushers of the lower conveyor 8, the lower vertical blade is omitted as will be seen from a comparison of Figures 9 and 15, which represent sections taken through the first and second halves of the peeling section respectively.

In the first part of the peeling section, the blades are supported by a plurality of rings 34, one of which is illustrated in Figure 9, and which is shown as being suspended from a frame 35, rising from the channels 36, fomiing the base of the entire machine. The rings 34 are suspended from the frames 35 by means of channels 36 as shown in Figure 9, and the rails 20' for the lower portion of the upper conveyor and corresponding rails 31 for the upper portion of the conveyor, as well as the guide rails 20 for the rollers H, are suitably supported relative to the frame 35 as The blades 3| themselves are supported in the rings 34 by means of angle irons 38 and bars 39 engaging opposite sides of the blades.

The rings 40 of the second half of the peeling section, one of which is shown in Figure 15, are supported by means of bars 4| and the rails 2| for the upper portion of the third conveyor are supported in these rings in the manner 'shown in Figure 15.

It should be noted that substantially midway of the peeling section the function of advancing the pineapple is transferred from the second conveyor to the third conveyor 8, the pushers of which extend into the central conduit from below. The transfer of the advancing function from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor takes place in a manner similar to that previously described in connection with the transfer from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, so that only those pushers are in active position which actually assume the load of advancing a pineapple from the second conveyor, while those pushers which do not find a pineapple present at the time of the transfer remain inactive.

However, in view of the fact that the pineapple at this time is held only by the blades 3| and has been partly peeled already, it is relieved of the task, of operating the cams 25' and the latter are operated, as shown in detail in Figure 16, by the pusher 4 of the upper conveyor in case the latter is in inoperative position. In this arrangement the cam 25' is normally held, by a spring not shown, so as to guide the pushers of the lower'conveyor into active position. But

when an inactive pusher approaches on the upper conveyor, the inactive pusher engages the lever 26' which through the link 29' and the arm 30' moves'the cam 25' into the position shown in Figure 16, in which it causes ,a corresponding pusher of the lower conveyor to remain in inactive. position. sometimes the inactive pusher 4 on the upper conveyor, when engaging the lever 26' is thrown about its pivot into active position and to prevent this I provide a plurality of movable stops 42 on a chain 42' moving in synchronized relation with the pushers of the conveyor so that each pusher when passing the lever 26' is followed by one of the stops 42 which prevents its tilting into active position.

While each pineapple passes through the peeling section, it is subjected to the action of the peeling knives described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 640,521, filed October 31, 1932. One of these peeling knives is shown in slightly modified form in Figure 11, at 32, and comprises an elongated blade 43 curved along the front bottom edge as shown at 44, and provided with guides 45 projecting from opposite sides of the blade at a distance from its cutting edge, corresponding substantially to the thickness of the shell of the pineapple. The rear end of the bottom edge of the blade has transverse trailing blades projecting therefrom as shown at 46, which are adapted to follow the under-face of the shell of the pineapple, and to separate a portion of such shell from the meat of the pineapple, the separated portion corresponding in width substantially to the spacing between the long blades 3|.

Each peeling knife assembly is pivotally supported as shown at 41 in one arm of an elbow 48, the other arm 49 of which extends parallel to the angle iron 38 and is formed with a projection 50 which is pivotally secured to its angle iron as shown at 5| so that the entire elbow may swing about the pivot 5| in a radial plane. The elbow is urged center-wise by a suitable spring arrangement shown at 52, and its center-wise movement is limited by the cross piece 53 supporting the spring arrangement. The rear end of each peeling knife 32 is urged downward, and into engagement with the pineapple by a rod 54 engaging the front end of the peeling knife as at 55 and acted on by a spring 56, the tension of which may be adjusted by nuts 51.

The number of peeling knives employed corresponds to that of the blades 3|, and each peeling knife operates in the plane of one of the blades from which an intermediate portion is removed as shown at 58 in Figure 11, so as to provide a space in which the peeling knife may operate.

The peeling knives are arranged in such a manner that they become active on the pineapple successively so that while one peeling knife is in action, the pineapple is supported firmly by all 'the remaining blades 3|, and the blade 43 of each peeling knife trails through the slot formed by its respective blade 3|. The arrangement of the peeling knives is diagrammatically illustrated in Figures 12, and 13, Figure 12 showing the peeling knives as they would be seen in a cross section, while Figure 13 diagrammatically shows the peeling knives as they would appear in top plan view, if the circular arrangement were developed into a flat plane. In both figures corresponding peeling knives are identified with the same letters ofthe alphabet from a to I, each Experience has shown that;

peeling knife in Figure 13 being represented by a small circle representing the rod of the spring arrangement 52 and shown in line with its respective blade 3|. It will be noted that the first peeling knife to become active is knife a on the right hand side in Figure 12, that thereafter the peeling knives become active successively in clock-wise arrangement to the peeling knife h whereupon action shifts to the peeling knife i and proceeds in counter-clock-wise direction tothe peeling knife I. This particular arrangement of the peeling knives is somewhat arbitrary and governed by structural considerations, the main idea being to allow the twelve peeling knives to become active successively.

As each peeling knife, following the slit made by its blade 3| causes its trailing blade 46 to pass underneath the shell and to separate a portion of the shell from the meat of the pineapple, it follows the contour of the pineapple due to the guides 45, but it will be seen that toward the end of the cut, due to the form of the pineapple shown in Figure 11. the descent is somewhat abrupt, and in order to make the peeling knife movement similarly abrupt, I provide means in connection with each elbow for compressing the spring 52 toward the end of the peeling action. This is accomplished by the arrangement shown in Figure 15, comprising a forked member 59 pivoted to a standard 66 as at 6|, and bearing with its free end on a slide 52 on the rod 63 of the spring 52, and a cam 54 which is operated by means hereinafter described to bear on the forked member 59 for compressing the spring 52 at the end of the peeling operation,

As has been described in my co-pending application the peeling knife, following in the wake of its blade 3|, separates on each side of the slit made by the blade 3|, a portion of the shell from the meat of the pineapple corresponding in width to one-half the distance between any two blades. It will be understood that the twelve blades 3| divide the shell of the pineapple into twelve longitudinal strips, and the first peeling knife passing through the first slit will separate only onehalf of each of two adjacent strips of shell from the meat of the pineapple. The second peeling knife will perform the same operation relative to the second slit, so that only after the second peelin knife has become active the first strip of pineapple shell is completely loosened. Each following peeling knife will loosen another strip and the last peeling knife will loosen two strips.

To successively remove the strips of pineapple that have been loosened by the peeling knives from the zone of action, I employ a plurality of star wheels 33, one for each strip of pineapple shell that has been loosened. One of these star wheels is shown in position in Figures 14 and 15, Figure 14 showing the star wheel 33 in side elevation, and Figure 15 in end elevation. As shown in Figure 15 each star wheel is supported in a plane substantially bisecting the angle between any two blades 3|, and is formed with a plurality of radial pins 65 arranged to pierce the shell strip that has been loosened by the peeling knife and to carry the same radially out of the machine, the strip being removed from the pins 65 by a suitable guide 66. V

Due to the fact that the first peeling knife does not entirely loosen a strip, the first star wheel A is arranged, as will be seen from the diagrammatic view of Figure 13, behind the second peeling knife designated b, and substantially midway between the first two peeling knives.

The second star wheel B is arranged midway between the peeling knives b and c, and behind the latter. The last peeling knife I separates two strips of shell from the meat of the pineapple, and is correspondingly followed by two star wheels K and L.

The driving means for the star wheels is schematically illustrated in Figure 1'7 taken in connection with Figure 1, and may be briefly described as follows:

Power is applied to the drive shaft 6'! shown on the right hand side in Figure 1, and is transmitted through suitable gearing to the shaft 68. From the latter shaft power 'is transmitted through suitable trains of gearing as shown in Figure 1 to the three conveyors, the chain of transmission including the chain 69, the sprocket 10, the shaft H, the sprocket l2, which is one of the conveyor sprockets I2, and the conveyors 8, 5 and 3 respectively. For driving the star wheels I provide a plurality of rods 13 arranged around the machine in annular sequence, and indicated in Figure 17, the rods including a lower series to correspond to the first series of peeling knives and star wheels, and a second upper series to correspond to the upper series of peeling knives and star wheels. The star wheels in the schematic view of Figure 13 are marked from A to L respectively, and the corresponding rods in both Figures 13 and 17 are marked correspondingly A to L' respectively. The same rods are found in Figure 12. All of said rods 13, as shown in Figure 17, are actuated through a rod 13a and beveled gears 14 from the shaft 16 of the second conveyor, and all of the rods are driven from the rod 13a through chains 11 and I8, encircling the machine, a few idlers 19 being used to properly direct thechains 11 and I8, and two rods marked 13 and 13", being driven through small extra chains 80 and 8| for structural reasons.

Each of these rods 13 drives a star wheel in he manner shown in Figure 14 through the gears 82, the chain 83 and a sprocket 84 mounted coaxially with the star wheel. The rods 13 also carry the cams 64, one of which is shown in Figure 15, used for depressing the forked member 59 and compressing the spring 52, for insuring a quick downward movement of the peeling knife at the end of the peeling operation.

It will be noted that in this manner each pineapple is formed with radial slits extending from the periphery to a central cylindrical section, while passing through the peeling section of the machine generally designated by the numeral 1, while at the same time the shell of the pineapple is separated in longitudinal strips defined by the slits, and the strips are removed from the zone of the machine by the star wheels. When the pineapple reaches the end of the peeling section it comprises a substantially egg-shaped body of pineapple meat without a shell and formed with radial slits extending from the periphery to a central cylindrical section.

Next the shel'ed pineapple is advanced to pass through the rotary cutter 9 which is of conventional construction, and the diameter of which corresponds to that of the central cylindrical section of the pineapple. The cutter is surrounded by a guard 85 and the pushers on the third conveyor 8 are arranged so as to drop into inactive position when the pineapple has been engaged with the cutter, further advance of the pineapple being caused by suction from the other end of the cutter. The cutter itself is revolved by suitable gearing indicated at 86, connected by a chain 81 to the main power shaft 81. The rotary cutter causes the split rim sections of the pineapple to be separated from the central cylindrical sections and the cutter may be formed with suitable outer blades for cutting up the strips of pineapple as they are removed from the central cylindrical section.

From the cutter the pineapple which is now cylindrical in shape reaches the turret shown at I8, and explained in Figures 18 and 19. The turret revolves on the horizontal shaft 81' and is formed with a peripheral series of cylindrical chambers 88, adapted to be successively brought into registry with the rotary cutter. Rotary motion is imparted to the turret through the cog wheel 89, see Figure 20, and the cam 98 on the shaft 9|, which latter is connected through the gears 92 with the main drive shaft 67. The cam 90 is arranged to step-wise advance the turret through angles corresponding to the angular distance between each two cylinders, and due to the shape of the cam the movement is timed to take place during a brief portion of the rotary movement of the cam so that the entire turret moves in impulses, bringing the cylindrical chambers 88 successively into registry with the revolving cutter, and providing a period of rest after each movement.

Each cylindrical chamber 88 passes through a plurality of stations during which different operations are performed. The different operations are schematically illustrated in Figure 19, and may be described as follows:

The chamber I is shown as being opposite the revolving cutter, and suction is applied through the tube 93 so that the pineapple which is subjected to the suction while it passes through the cutter is pulled through the latter and into the chamber I with its forward end bearing against the wall 94 through which suction is applied. The chamber now advances to station 2 in which pressure is applied through the tube 95 to push the pineapple in the opposite direction up against a plate 96, which allows one end of the pineapple to project beyond the chamber. Next the pineapple passes to station 3, and while passing is subjected to the action of the knife 9! which cuts off the projecting end piece of the pineapple. In station 4 the pineapple is subjected to pressure through the pipe 98 whereby the pineapple is pushed to the outer end and up against a plate 99 which causes the other end of the pineapple to project beyond the chamber. In this position the chamber containing the pineapple is again advanced to station 5, and in this station a coring knife I is projected into the pineapple in such a manner that it stops short of the outer end of the pineapple. The coring knife is drawn back immediately, while the pineapple is in the same station and does not remove the core but only leaves the same separated from the main body of the pineapple, the extreme end of the core still adhering to the projecting portion of the pineapple. During the next station 6 pressure is again applied through the tube IM to push the pineapple toward the plate 99 in case the withdrawal of the coring knife should have pulled the pineapple inwardly. The pineapple now advances through two stations marked I, and during this advance is subjected to the action of the revolving knife I02, which cuts off the projecting end of the pineapple, and at the same time makes the separation of the core from the pineapple complete. Next the chamber containing the pineapple advances to station 8, and in this station a plunger,,l89 is made to enter the pineapple for removalflof the core which is indicated at. I04. In the last station 9 a second plunger I is made to enter the chamber for removal of the pineapple which is indicated at I86, and now comprises a cored cylindrical body ready for slicing operations. The plunger I05 comprises a sleeve I895, and a rod I81 received therein with limited freedom of sliding motion through a pin I 88 ridingin a slot I89, while a spring II8 urges the rod I0I"outwardly. On account ofthis construction it will be noted that during the initial engagement of the head III of the plunger, the spring is compressed by the inertia of the pineapple, while during the latter part of the advance movement of the plunger, the spring urges the pineapple forward with increased speed, and thereby insures a complete freeing of the chamber from the pineapple. Figure 18 shows two stations through which the turret idles without performing any function.

The corer I88 and the plunger I83 and I86" are mounted on the same head indicated in Figure 21 at H2, and this head is reciprocated through the connecting link H3 actuated by the eccentric H4 driven from the main shaft 81, through the train of gears H5 and 92. The main a shaft 81 also drives through beveled gears H6 and the chain In, the revolving knife I82.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The pineapple is first placed on the first conveyor 3 in front of one pusher, is then advanced on the track I and taken over by the second conveyor 5, the pushers of which have the selective feature which renders the same inactive when no pineapple is delivered to the same. The second conveyor pushes the pineapple through the centering device 6 and from there through the conduit defined by the radial blades M, which latter form radial slits in the pineapple extending from the periphery to a central cylindrical section. These blades serve as guides for holding the pineapple in position, and while the pineapple is advanced elongated strips of pineapple shell are successively separated by the peeling knives and removed from the machine by the* 9 which removes the outer sections of the pineapple and from which the central cylindrical section is drawn into the first chamber of the turret. While in the turret the pineapple passes through a plurality of stations designed to first cut off one end of the pineapple, to then core the pineapple, and cut off the other end, and to thereafter eject the core and the final product, namely the cored cylindrical section which is ready for slicing operations.

The entire machine is preferably mounted at Y a slight incline to the horizontal plane, rising from the front to the rear, so as to cause juices formed by the cutting action of the cylindrical knife or cutter 9 to run backward instead of running into the turret and both the cutter 9 and the corer I88 are beveled at their cutting edges so as to prevent binding of the pineapple meat in said cutter or corer.

jlo

The rotary cutter I02 is employed in preference to a stationary cutter as at 9'! to insure a smooth cut, where the structure of the meat has already been weakened by the action of the corer and to prevent tearing of the fibres in the final product.

It should be noted that in Figures 5 to 7, and in Figure 16 the cams 25 and 25' are shown as being of slightly smaller diameter than the sprocket wheels with which they cooperate. This has been done for the sake of clarifying the operation of the cams. As a matter of fact, the cams are of the same diameter as the sprockets so as to be flush with the outer face of the conveyors.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for conveying a pineapple through this passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section and means formed intermediate the length of each blade for separating an adjacent portion of the shell of the pineapple from its meat and leaving the meat from the periphery to the cylindrical section still attached to the cylindrical section, said means including means for severing the meat at a point adjacent to the inner surface of the shell and for following this surface regardless of its shape.

2. In a machine of the character described,

an annular series of radial blades arranged to an annular series of radial blades aranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for conveying a pineapple through this passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section and means formed intermediate the length of each blade for separating an adjacent portion of the shell of the pineapple from its meat, in combination with means for removing separated shell sections from the zone of the blades.

4. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for conveying a pineapple through this passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section and means formed intermediate the length of each blade for separating an adjacent portion of the shell of the pineapple from its meat, the conveying means being arranged to be active on the pineapple from one direction during part of its travel, and from another direction during another part of its travel.

5. In a machine of the character described, an

.annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for conveying a pineapple through this passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section and means formed intermediate the length of each blade for separating an adjacent portion of the shell of the pineapple from its meat, the conveying means having means associated therewith for rendering individual elements thereof inactive when no pineapple is engaged by said element.

6. In a machine of the character described, a track on which a pineapple may be advanced, a conveyor having a pusher thereon for advancing the pineapple on said track and a second conveyor mounted on the opposite side of the track having a pusher for advancing the pineapple in continuation of the work of the first conveyor, with means for rendering the pusher of the second conveyor inactive when no pineapple is delivered to the same by the first pusher. 7. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for centering a pineapple relative to said passage and means for conveying the centered pineapple through the passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section, and means for successively separating individual strips of shell from the pineapple while the latter passes through the passage.

8. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for centering a pineapple relative to said passage and means for conveying the centered pineapple through the passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section, and means for successively separating individual strips of shell from the pineapple while the latter passes through the passage, in combination with means for removing the separated strips of shell from the zone of the blades.

9. In a machine of the character described, means for advancing a pineapple, means for successively separating strips of shell from the meat of the pineapple, and a star wheel for each separated strip of pineapple having pins engageable with said strip for removing the same.

10. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for passing a pineapple through the passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical central section, and a second blade yieldably and movably mounted in the path 01' each of said first blades and having guide means for following the contour of the pineapple and means for separating an adjacent strip of shell from the meat of the pineapple.

11. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for passing a pineapple through the passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical central section, and a second blade yieldably and movably mounted in the path of each of said first blades, and having guide means for following the contour of the pineapple and means for separating an adjacent strip of shell from the meat of the pineapple, the second blade having means associated therewith for intion, said means including means for severing the meat at a point adjacent to the inner surface of the shell and for following this surface regardless of its shape.

13. In a machine of the character described, means for cutting an annular series of radial slits into the pineapple extending from the periphery to the depth of a central cylinder, means for first removing the shell from the meat of the pineapple in sections formed by the slits while still leaving the meat from the periphery to the cylindrical section attached to the cylindrical section, and means for subsequently removing the slit sections of the meat from the central cylinder.

14. The method of cutting an annular series of radial slits into a pineapple extending from the periphery to the depth of a' central cylinder, of first removing the shell from the meat in sections formed by the slits while leaving the meat from the periphery to the cylinder still attached to the cylinder, and of subsequently removing the slit sections of the meat from the central cylinder.

15. The method of cutting an annular series of radial slits into a pineapple extending from the periphery to the depth of a central cylinder. and of successively removing the shell sections while leaving the meat sections still attached to the central cylinder, and then subsequently removing the meat sections from the central cylinder formed by the slits.

16. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for conveying a pineapple through this passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial sections extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section, and means formed intermediate the length of each blade for separating an adjacent portion of the shell of the pineapple from its meat while still leaving the meat section attached to the central section.

17. In a machine of the character described, an annular series of radial blades arranged to leave a cylindrical passage between the same, means for conveying a pineapple through this passage whereby the pineapple is formed with a series of radial slits extending from the periphery to a cylindrical section, and means formed intermediate the length of each blade for separating an adjacent portion of the shell of the pineapple from its meat, the latter means being staggered relative to one another whereby the remaining blades serve as guides for the pineapple while one of said shell separating means becomes active, in combination with means for removing separated shell sections from the zone of the blades.

ROBERT BROOKS TAYLOR. 

